Wednesday’s News Roundup

Nearly $1 billion worth of technology contracts will be awarded to veteran-owned small businesses over the next five years. The VA’s Transformation Twenty-One Total Technology program – or T4, for short – will give smaller companies a chance to compete with larger ones in the procurement process. Seven of the initiative’s 15 prime contracts will be reserved for veteran-owned small businesses, VA Secretary Eric Shinseki said. [NextGov]

Maryland’s Anne Arundel Workforce Development Corp. received a $4.9 million grant to fill hundreds of cybersecurity jobs expected to open up in the region over the next several years. Both government agencies and private companies need professionals in network security and information assurance, officials said. Maryland hosts a number of federal installations, including the National Security Agency. [Baltimore Sun]

Larry Ellison tops the list of highest-paid chief executives at public companies over the last ten years, according to an analysis by The Wall Street Journal. The Oracle boss received compensation totalling $1.84 billion during the period. Apple’s Steve Jobs was the next technology CEO on the list – coming in at No. 4 after earning $749 million. Not bad for a guy whose salary is $1 a year. [eWeek]

Software as a Service is poised for dramatic growth as its lower start-up and maintenance costs attract a larger user base. Gartner sees worldwide sales rising past $8.5 billion by 2014 from 2009’s $7.5 billion. Such a rapid increase means on-demand applications twill make up a larger percentage of total enterprise software sales for the foreseeable future, the researcher says. [Datamation]

Dell Services laid off 28 people at its Lincoln, Neb., office, which handles back office functions for insurance companies. [Lincoln Journal Star]